Are you a student looking to make your CAS hours, a corporate organisation wanting to place your employees, a faith-based organisation looking to reach out to the community or just someone with a heart to help? The I61 Foundation Volunteer Connect brings volunteers and NGO’s together through a database of volunteers and NGO’s, matching skills and activities.
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Bonheur Associé Aux Enfants is based in Village Beau Vallon in the southeast of Mauritius. They support 65 children from 38 vulnerable families in severe financial difficulty and circumstance. Over and above other activities, the preparation and distribution of lunch packs every school day for each of the children, is one of the NGO’s main activities. The staff start working at 5:00am to prepare food and organise lunch packs for the children to collect from 6:15 am. The Lunch pack consists of a sandwich, yoghurt, fruit or juice and other goodies, depending on the availability of funds and from the donations collected. This activity is carried out throughout each school term, regardless of the children being online or in class. There has been a marked change in the children: (1) The children are more eager to go to school and there are less absentees; (2) The parents feel much relief as this activity reduces their financial burden.
Foodwise, founded in 2018, fights against food waste and food insecurity in Mauritius by helping businesses repurpose their unsold food in order to help people in need. It is a leading food waste solution in Mauritius with a mission to ensure that all food produced is never wasted, but reused in an impactful way. Every day, they collect unsold food from dozens of donors such as hotels, wholesalers, producers, supermarkets, restaurants, etc, and deliver them to charities that help people in need.
Foodwise aims to save food to empower people and protect the island through values of sharing, dignity and empathy.
Caritas Ile Maurice, present in 47 parishes around the island, has been supporting these communities for over 50 years, resulting in a sound understanding of the families and their needs. Caritas Ile Maurice works to rehabilitate the poor, the excluded and the oppressed through an action of love and proximity by welcoming and listening to them, visiting and accompanying them, so that they may rediscover their dignity and build together a fair and united community.
For more information, visit: www.caritasilemaurice.org
Community Impact:
Covid-19 Response 2020
Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) is a registered, non-profit Christian organisation. They have been operating in Mauritius since the 19th of September 1989 and are also recognised as a Charitable Association. Their main social goal is to promote a healthy attitude among the children and young people of the country, as well as their families, by raising their awareness in entertaining a positive approach to life and providing them with academic, social and character-building classes and activities. The children are mostly from deprived backgrounds and come from all over the island. CEF’s office is found in Port Louis and they are currently serving 25 areas in Mauritius which consist of around 300 children. CEF also supports vulnerable families they work with by assisting them in their times of need.
Community Impact:
Covid-19 Response 2021
Eco-Sud is a non-governmental organisation aspiring for a combative Mauritius, where the “nature’s rights” is a priority and where it’s good to live for everyone.
The primary mission of the NGO is to fervently protect the Mauritian territory biodiversity and environment, for the current and future generations.
To complete this mission, Eco-Sud is dedicated to:
Community Impact:
R.O.C. Project
I CAN Special Needs School is an NGO for children with disabilities, helping develop their creativity and basic skills. The school, which has been operating since March 2013, was founded by Mrs Vrinda Luchmaya, a special needs educator certified by the Mauritius Institute of Education and headmistress of the school. The school merges academics with creativity and gathers parents and families whose children suffer from disabilities, ensuring each child receives the education he/she needs.
Community Impact:
I Can School Move Part 1
Schooling for Mario*
This non-formal education center, a branch of Mahebourg Espoir, opened on January 17, 2011 in Mahebourg, in the south-east of Mauritius, allows us to help adolescents who have been excluded from primary education. A member of ANFEN (Adolescent Non-Formal Education Network), Mahebourg Espoir Education Center offers non-formal education to adolescents – girls and boys – in Mahebourg and the south-eastern region of Mauritius.
The vision of the NEF, established by the government as a non-profit public company, is to eradicate extreme and chronic poverty and to strive towards the creation of an inclusive and more equitable society in Mauritius. The Foundation aims to support and empower the vulnerable groups with a view to mainstreaming them in society and improving their quality of life in a sustainable manner through the provision of an effective and efficient service delivery, imbued in equity, fairness and impartiality.
Community Impact:
Rainwater Harvesting
Not A Number, a ‘for-impact’ organisation, works towards the creation of safer communities by harnessing the innate potential of all people to better themselves and become positive influences on their world. Our aim is to contribute towards a future where people are less burdened by crime, with fewer victims, and a genuine system of justice. We shine a light on the faceless ‘numbers’ that overwhelm our justice system – the endless list of victims of crime as well as those perpetrators lost in the cycle of criminality.
Community Impact:
Prisoner Reintegration Project
Pont du Tamarinier is an NGO involved in relocation and support projects of the families they partner with. In 2004, Le Village du Tamarinier was created by the relocation of the 42 families from Camp La Colle. To date, 88 families (350 people) benefit from the help and support of Pont du Tamarinier. To monitor and support the families, the association organizes monthly meetings in the village, and provides social and psychological support.
Community Impact:
Carre D’As Sanitary Project
Motilakaz Project #1
Covid-19 Response 2021
C5 Lakaz Building Project
Volunteer Impact:
ENL Foundation, a keen supporter of and an active participant in integrated and sustainable community developments, aims at empowering local communities for autonomy. They work in close partnership with main beneficiaries, local authorities as well as specialist field NGOs to empower communities they work with to transcend hopelessness and to take full ownership of their own growth.
The foundation invests significant time and resources in nurturing future generations through education, training and exposure to current trends. ENL Foundation aims at grooming the youth, especially those from socially vulnerable neighbourhoods into leaders and role models of their peers.
Ecomode Society, an active NGO in Mauritius since 2012, has a mission to protect and conserve the terrestrial and marine environment through research and community engagement. Its group of experienced scientists and volunteers aim to develop leadership and social responsibility by supporting an eco-friendly lifestyle through programmes dealing with ocean conservation, solid waste management, and public awareness. The team also aims at strengthening adaptation capacity and reducing vulnerability in poor local communities affected by climate change.
Ecomode is actively involved in various projects towards marine biodiversity protection and restoration around Mauritius.
Created in 2021, Revey Twa Fam aims to empower vulnerable women in the southeast of Mauritius through hands-on training and an employment service that helps them find and maintain job security. These vulnerable women, between the ages of 17 and 50, are taught technical, emotional, and social skills and are exposed to greater employment opportunities.
Medair Madagascar, active since 2002 in Madagascar, is an impartial, independent, and neutral humanitarian organisation inspired by Christian faith to save lives and help vulnerable people in crisis.
Medair focuses on emergency response, women and children, innovations and refugees through responding within 24 hours of a disaster, restoring essential services and helping the community return to normal life and helping the community prepare for future crises through risk reduction.
Precious Plastic Mauritius, is a nonprofit organisation providing solutions to plastic waste and cleaning Mauritian beaches and mangroves. Precious Plastic sets its mission at overcoming poverty and cleaning the oceans from plastic through the creation of a plastic recycling economy.
Association Pour Personnes En Larmes (APPEL) has been a registered NPO since 2006, and aims to create a pathway for vulnerable women and children, as well as homeless men. APPEL aims to assist them in finding a way back into society and improving their way of life through two programs:
• ARCH is a residential and day care program for homeless men.
• SAFE is an empowerment program established in 2013 for vulnerable women. Hairdressing classes were launched in 2018.
Community Impact:
Capacity Growth Program
Covid-19 Response 2021
Association Amour et Espoir is located in Coteau Raffin, just south of La Gaulette on the west coast – one of the three poorest regions in Mauritius. This NGO focusses on the wellbeing of the children in this region, providing them with meals, after school activities and psychosocial support.
Community Impact:
Children’s Feeding Scheme
Covid-19 Response 2021
Social Welfare Support
Covid-19: Coteau Raffin 2020
Etoile d’Espérance, located in Curepipe, has been rehabilitating women addicted to alcoholic substances since April 1998 through a dynamic therapeutic structure, with specialised staff and partners. Women reside at the beautiful home and assist with daily chores and the running thereof.
Please see statistics of their success below:
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
| Women going through Residential Care | 40 | 28 | 39 | 46 |
| Women on The After Care Programme | 15 | 22 | 32 | 38 |
| Number of relapses (%) | 12 (30%) | 6 (21%) | 11 (28%) | 16 (34%) |
Community Impact:
Halfway House Project
Hope House is an NGO with the purpose of social upliftment in Mauritius. Founded in early 2014, Hope House has developed various social projects to teach, guide and bring people with difficult circumstances together, encouraging them to create their own futures. They believe in helping people to help themselves. Only then they can make a sustainable difference in the system, both economically and socially. Therefore their programs are aimed to empower the disadvantaged towards lasting change.
Community Impact:
Covid-19 Response 2021
Kolektif Rivier Nwar (KRN) is a registered non-governmental association whose mission is to unite local NGOs and other social actors to optimise their resources so as to improve the quality of life of the inhabitants of Grande and Petite Rivière Noire. KRN has its area of intervention in Specialised and Holistic Education for all the children living in the region of Grande Rivière Noire. KRN also works for the community development of the region from La Preneuse to Case Noyale.
Community Impact:
Volunteer Connect Impact:
July 2022 – Oak Helps out at Kolektief Rivier Nwar
July 2022 – Weekly Volunteering at KRN’s Children Literacy program
Ti Rayons Soleil, an NGO created in 2007 in Mauritius, helps children and vulnerable people living in pockets of poverty. The final goal of community development projects is the fight against poverty and exclusion through training, “Empowerment”, educational, nutritional, medical and para-medical support. The supervision of people in the programs makes it possible to create a social bond and thus, to counter exclusion.
Ti Rayons Soleil identifies within pockets of poverty, children who have unmet basic needs and are deprived of basic care. Then our teams intervene on the educational, nutritional, medical and psychological level.
Community Impact:
Upgrading of Pre-School
Covid-19 Response 2021
Sun Kids Refurbishment
Sun Kids School Meals
Volunteer Impact:
Mauritius is home to many talented craft workers, many of which go unnoticed. In 2006, Fondation Espoir Développement Beachcomber (FED) launched the Beautiful LocalHands project to help these artisans by giving them the opportunity to develop their skills and sell their products to the tourist market. The project is a resounding success and generates income for vulnerable people, their communities, and helps preserve traditional crafts and cultural heritage. Many of the 55 artisans who work regularly with FED are women who use their income to improve the quality of life of their families, and give their children a better education.
